“The following is the extract of a letter...”

Date

2-10-1812

Newspaper

Wilson’s Knoxville Gazette

Page and Column

Page 3, Column 1

Newspaper Location

Knoxville, Tennessee

Serial Number

441

Abstract

Letter from West Tennessee describes December 16, 1811 earthquake from 12 miles above New Madrid. Notes boiling up of river and snapping of trees and caving in of river banks. Good brief report.

Transcript

The following is an extract of a letter written by a gentleman of great respectability now in West Tennessee, to his friend in Knoxville, dated January 25th, 1812. "[unreadable]all accounts of the Earthquake on the other side Mississippi a great deal of the country in the neighborhood of Little Prairie, is said to be much injured-cracks are yet in the earth in some places 18 feet wide-the Cypress swamps are said to be the highest part of the country-such large quantities of white sand have been thrown up, that in many places. What was formerly rich land now looks like a sand beach-from all these stories it condlues that the shock has been severe, and that the country has sustained some injury-it is certainly true that many people are removing from it-I saw a gentlemen, who told me, that he was in a Barge twelve Miles above New Madrid, when the first shock which we experienced took place-that in the morning during the shock he saw the water in the river at some places boil up 12 or 15 feet higher, than the surface of the surrounding water, than in those places large quantities of leaves, dirt, and as he supposed, stone-coal, were thrown up; that the shock was so violent, that he saw cotton-wood-trees 18 or 24 inches through snapped off; and that he thinks, at least two hundred acres of land along the margin of the river, fell in. On thursday morning last, a little before 8 o'clock, where we then were, there was a shock equal in severity to any I have experienced-Mr. [unreadable] says he felt two last night at your house."

Link to Full Text

Share

 
COinS